MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Therapy and Service dogs are continuing to offer support to the community after a school shooting at Madison Abundant Life Christian School. On Tuesday, dogs were brought to Dane County Public Safety Communications to support 911 operators.
Custom Canines Service Dog Academy trains dogs to become service animals for veterans and first responders. They also use their dogs to offer support to the community.
Custom Canines supported students, staff and parents on Monday, and continued to help others, including first responders, heal on Tuesday.
“Our dogs were able to deal with the elementary kids, staff, we were able to deal with parents, we were able to deal with the older students, but also with the first responders, and all of the staff at Dean clinic, because their day also was turned upside down with this horrific tragedy, so our dogs were able to bring smiles on peoples faces,” explained Debie Schenck, Care Team Coordinator for Custom Canines.
Tuesday morning, the dogs visited 911 dispatchers, helping them process the events from the day before.
Samantha Juve, a care team handler for Custom Canines, says dogs can help calm people down and support their nervous system while navigating difficult situations and trauma.
The dogs helped the community in Mount Horeb after a school shooter incident occurred in August. Since then, Custom Canines has worked closely with Dane County Emergency Management to continue to help in similar situations.
“Unfortunately Mount Horeb prepared us, we knew a little bit more about what to expect, like about how kids might be feeling and how staff might be feeling and how first responders might be feeling related to that, as unfortunate as it is, that we had that, but I felt a sense of ‘okay we’ve done something like this before’ so we’re kind of prepared and unfortunately ready,” explained Juve.
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